


A Freak Accident

by Red_Hair_Dont_Care



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gabriel is no better, Sadness, why do I do this to these poor children?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15889425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Hair_Dont_Care/pseuds/Red_Hair_Dont_Care
Summary: In this story, Marinette happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, Adrien, being the sweet little cinnamon roll that he is, takes it upon himself to care for her. Stick around to watch Marinette and Adrien come to terms with... everything.There is a lot of blood depicted in this story, so just an FYI if that kind of stuff sways you.





	1. A Big Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty! I know a few of you were really excited for my Crash AU, and I'm sorry it took so long, but here it is! I hope you enjoy!

_Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And blind. I was so blind. Why didn't I check to make sure the coast was clear?_

Thoughts swarmed Marinette's mind as the pain enveloped her; watched as her blood pooled onto the street; cursed the world itself.

_Why didn't the luck Tikki has rub off on me? Why did I get cursed with such bad luck? I'm Ladybug for Pete's sake!_

Eventually, the girl focused less on the pounding questions and more on the pain coursing through her body. There was no way that the bus should've been affected like this. There was no conceivable way in the bluenette's mind that this many people could be dead.  _Especially with **Ladybug** around to protect them._ Just as blood seeped out of her body, guilt came in, and it tortured her. 17 people dead. 2 survivors: a child and Marinette. It didn't occur to the middle school student that she might be joining the deceased. It never occurred to the child to call for help. The only person capable of moving - or doing anything - was a blond onlooker completely unaware of the fact that, not only was his classmate and close friend dying but that it was also  _his Lady._

Yes, he knew someone had saved the child from the bus the second time around. 

Yes, he knew they were covered in blood, pouring out of her by the gallon.

But no, he still did not know that it was someone he cared about deeply.

No, he did not know that one of his closest friends was dying.

Dialing 1-1-2, Adrien Agreste checked the street name. "1-1-2, what's your emergency?" An indifferent voice answered the phone, but the famous model didn't care. He just needed someone to help. He gave all the necessary information and finally hung up, going over to the child. 

The girl didn't even acknowledge his presence, just stared, stock still, at the destruction around her. Adrien deduced she was about 6 years old but didn't know if both her parents were on that bus - he didn't want her to be an orphan, after all. Following her gaze, Adrien took one look at all the dead bodies, blood, gore, and almost got sick.

M E O W

Imagine looking at a scene filled with dead civilians, a child without parents, and a hero that is now lying dead - or dying, Adrien didn't know which - in front of a massive bus. "How did this happen?" A voice behind him made the boy jump. Turning around hesitantly, he saw Alya Césaire rapidly taking photos. "An Akuma?

Adrien shook his head, "No. I have no idea who or what caused this, but I hope nobody we knew was on this bus or caused it." It was then the model realized the hail had long since stopped. It was as though Mother Earth was grieving for the newly deceased. "Gosh, I hope Marinette wasn't on this bus." Adrien Agreste had been scared to death once before - when Ladybug jumped into the T-Rex's mouth during the Animan fight.

This was a new level of scared - even for Alya, who was putting her life in danger on a regular basis. The teenagers frantically began to scan the faces of each person laying on the ground - including the person fighting to stay alive. The blood covered her face, but they could clearly tell it was a girl their age.

A girl with familiar clothing that they couldn't quite place. The jacket, the pants, the shirt... Marinette thought for sure her friends would figure out who they were looking at.

 _Of course, they don't recognize,_ she thought.  _Whatever bad luck I've been cursed with must still be working. How did he know I was going to be on THIS bus?_

Adrien was having different thoughts on the subject, however. All the while, Alya tried - to no avail - to pierce his thoughts.

_This is all my fault. If I hadn't been standing so close, maybe my bad luck wouldn't have made such a mess._

As one last, shuddering breath arose from the corpse in front of them, emergency personnel drove up by the dozen. Loading bodies into each ambulance, police swarmed Marinette's unrecognizable body. "Do you kids know who this is?" The middle school  **(collége for those of you who like to go into extreme detail)** students shook their heads. "We tried to look, but all we could clearly see is that she's a middle school student like us." With a quiet thank you, they placed said student on a stretcher and got out defibrillators. "Clear!"

From where Adrien and Alya are standing, a few yards away, the only sound heard besides the people bustling around, is the shock sent through the body. 

Another shuddering breath sounds from the girl and she starts to cough wildly. "Let's get her to the hospital! Go! Go! Go!" A hand grabs Adrien and Alya's shoulders, causing them to jump. Turning around, they face Sabrina Raincomprix's father. "Do you know how this happened?" 

The two shake their heads, and Adrien gives up the only information he holds. "I walked up as the bus was hit a second time, but I do know that the person they just took away saved a little girl. My friend just got here though, so as much as I wish we could help..." Trailing off, Adrien looks up at the officer helplessly. In response, Roger nods solemnly. "Thanks for your help. Whoever that girl is, she's a hero. Now we can only hope she makes it through surgery."

As the final body is whisked away, police tape is wrapped around the bus and two cars piled up behind it. Alya, being the reporter that she is, asks a question to the quiet that now surrounds the catastrophic scene. "Who caused this?"


	2. A Question Answered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof, it's been a while since I posted on this story too, hasn't it? Anyway, this story is still a work in progress, plus I've got school - ugh - so I'll try to post - or make progress on a chapter - each weekend, but I only have so much free time. I hope y'all enjoy.

A day ago, Marinette spotted a pure, white butterfly flitting away from the scene of the last Akuma attack. Finally being allowed a chance to figure out who Hawk Moth could be, she raced to an alleyway to transform before swinging off to trail behind it.

Apparently, when an Akuma is just an innocent butterfly, they have minds of their own, despite being "property" of the infamous villain. Several times, it turned around, and Ladybug had to duck for cover, just in case it could somehow report back to Hawk Moth. It was slow going, but eventually, she made some headway across the city. It was fortunate for her that school was out for the summer, as it took her several hours to reach Hawk Moth's Lair.

In fact, half the day had gone by when she finally approached the awaiting purple window. Landing inside, a dark figure cloaked in purple and a grey neckline stood with a scepter in front of her. "Hello, Ladybug." Stepping forward, the bluenette could see the evil grin spread across his face. 

"I've been waiting for you."

M E O W

Some minutes later, Ladybug finally found it in herself to speak. To act. "It's over Hawk Moth. I know where your lair is now. Chat Noir and I have the means to defeat you." The smirk never left his face as he leaned close to the heroine. "Ah, but you see, Ladybug, I have valuable... information."

Raising an eyebrow, Ladybug took a step back. "What kind of information?" She should've sensed it, the bad luck beginning in that room, but she was too focused on the tablet being pulled from a stand in the dark room to notice.

"What..." Cut off by the screen lighting up, Ladybug watched the live feed of Adrien Agreste pacing around his room. "I think we both know who this is, Ladybug. I see how much you care for the boy, so I offer you this." Lifting a hand, she stops him. "Hold up. Why are you just  **now** breaking your silence? Why are you suddenly coming out of hiding? And what makes you think I believe that recording is real?"

As a fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste learned how to let questions he didn't want to answer simply roll off his back.

It proved to be helpful in situations like the one he found himself in currently, as he continues to speak as though she never did. "I'll make you a deal, Ladybug. Do me the favor of showing me your true self so I can tempt you, or just get half the fight over with and give me your Miraculous right now. Either way, Adrien will go unharmed, but if you don't..." 

Instead of continuing to speak like a normal person, Hawk Moth simply opened a hand and the recently-purified butterfly touched down gently. The bluenette laughed confidently. "You'll... what? Make him an Akuma?" Another laugh. "Honestly, Hawk Moth, that's the nicest thing you could do to that poor boy. She didn't push, but the man got the gist of it. "Well then. Whatever the lady wishes, isn't that right, Ladybug?" Snapping his fingers, the image on the screen changed, and suddenly, the blond boy is on the ground, gasping for air.

His face instantly turned a nice shade of red that definitely was  **not** because the poor model was blushing, and it was quickly changing colors.

First red, then blue, and onto purple, hands remaining clasped around his throat, the sound emerging from the device making Ladybug scream. "STOP! Make it stop! Please!" The heroine let out a sob, and as soon as she did, the purple color drained from her friend's face.

Little did she know that it was a pre-recording. It just so happened that Adrien had a piece of food lodged in the back of his throat from dinner about two weeks ago.

It also happened that Nathalie was able to remove herself saving Adrien from the clip so that it looked like Gabriel was actually choking his son. It took a long, hard week of work, but it would be worth it in the end. "Now that you know what I'm capable of, you have a choice to make." Nodding her head in resignation, Marinette took the place of Ladybug.

"Thank you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. You may leave now." Not willing to give up without a fight, she opened her eyes to glare at the villain. "And how is it that you know my name?" 

Pointing at a hole in the floor, Gabriel motioned for the girl to leave him. Sighing, - with the knowledge she would have to work even  **harder** to protect those she loved - Marinette walked to the "elevator" and slowly descended until she stood in the office of...

"Gabriel Agreste?!"

M E O W

The bluenette stood, confused. Her idol, the villain she fought on a daily basis? Or was it just convenient for him to have his lair be in the same building as a famous designer? 

All thoughts aside, Marinette couldn't decide how to get out of the office. She knew - from previous experiences - that the windows didn't open without a command from a specific computer. Opting for finding an easy open window, Marinette transformed and began to look around. Arriving in the main entrance, Ladybug landed in front of the doors, silently praying Adrien, Nathalie, or the Gorilla wasn't home. 

If Gabriel  **wasn't** Hawk Moth, then the heroine had to go unnoticed in the Agreste household. 

"Ladybug."

It wasn't a question, and it certainly hadn't come from the three people the said girl was trying to avoid. Turning around, the spotted heroine looked up the staircase to see Gabriel Agreste standing at the top. "What are you doing here?" There was no accusatory tone in his voice, and Ladybug noticed that it sounded  **exactly** like that of Hawk Moth.

 _How did I not recognize him before?_ "Well, I made a visit to our beloved Hawk Moth, and when I left  **his** office, I came up in yours. Would you know anything about that?" If the bluenette hadn't thought the fashion designer was stiff before, she knew he was now. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss." Knowing she wasn't going to get any information out of Gabriel, she saluted with two fingers and walked out the door. "Ladybug, wait!"

A much younger voice spoke up behind her, and the heroine turned to see "Agreste Jr." taking the steps two at a time. Racing across the room, Adrien skidded to a stop in the doorway.

 _What could Ladybug be doing here?_ He never thought ahead to what he was going to do or say, he just needed to see the love of his life.

"I, uh... big fan you! I-I mean... what I meant to say is... I'm a really big fan of you! And I really look up to you, Ladybug!"  _What in Miraculous is coming out of my mouth?_ "And Chat Noir is a very lucky guy because he gets to work with you!" Adrien didn't notice her blush, as he intently focused on his feet.  _What in the name of Plagg am I saying?_

"Uh... thanks! I like to think that I'm the luckier person on our team. I probably would've failed or dropped something many times if it weren't for that pun-making machine. Anyway, I should get going." With a sheepish wave goodbye, Ladybug swung away before she could make a bigger fool of herself.

Adrien simply stared after her.

_Wow. Maybe she **doesn't** entirely hate me for the puns._

M E O W

Today, Marinette was racing to catch the bus headed in Alya's general direction. From there, she was supposed to catch another bus, but she wasn't sure how long she'd be waiting between the two, so she brought an umbrella.

Normally, Marinette would walk to her best friend's house, but it had been hailing all day, and the ice chunks had grown to the size of baseballs. It had taken all of her persuasion skill - that she had learned from being class representative - to get Sabine to allow Marinette out of the house. 

Of course, something had to interfere, but this time, it hadn't been an Akuma.

Marinette was the only person in their seat, and several people were standing in the aisle as one slowly carried his luggage. Just as the man set his bats in the seat in front of Marinette, the bus lurched forward. Bodies flew back, and several were stabbed by umbrellas. The driver was killed, along with the twelve other people on the bus.

Marinette, being in her seat, received minimal injury, but one glance in front of the bus told her there were people who needed her help.

Racing past the bodies, - and almost gagging - Marinette found herself outside the bus. Looking around, she could see the other six passengers. Five of which lay dead.  _Must have been taking a photo._

A child stood a few feet in front of the bus, sobbing uncontrollably. Not knowing if the situation was under control or not, Marinette walked up to the child and began to push her away from the vehicle, calming her down at the same time. 

The little girl was just out of the danger zone when the bus was hit again, the bike hook piercing Marinette's intestines. The child screamed again as Marinette's head hit the ground with a nasty  **CRACK**. The blood now oozed out of her abdomen and head, the girl's vision blurry within seconds.

Adrien, having just escaped from the Gorilla, ran up to the bus, expecting to make it in time. Instead, he stood stock still a few feet away, looking at the cataclysm a couple cars can do. Not recognizing Marinette lying just in front of him, he gawked at the scene, not sure what to make of it.

"Who caused this?"


	3. Finding Marinette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I haven't forgotten about this story. I've come back to write it, and I apologize if it's a bit disorganized. Between school, school drama, sports, and random ideas for other stories and fandoms, I've been completely neglecting this story and The Dinner Party, but I promise to get some more uploaded soon. Hopefully before the New Year. Oops. Please forgive me.

The question shakes Adrien out of his thoughts. “Who would benefit from such destruction?” The bespectacled girl wasn’t expecting a question in return, and it shows in her expression as she responds. “I have no idea.”

Adrien has thoughts on the matter, but he keeps those to himself. _Ladybug was at my house yesterday. She was talking about Hawk Moth like she does whenever the subject comes up on patrol; hatred and worry mixed together. Why would she talk about Hawk Moth with my father? And why with so much anger and **fear** in her voice? _ The model lets out a gasp as realization strikes him. Does she know who Hawk Moth is? Does he _know who_ **_she_ ** _is?_ “What? What is it?” Alya snaps her finger in front of his face, bringing Adrien out of his thoughts once again. “I think Hawk Moth knows who Ladybug is.”

M E O W

After the initial shock Alya felt rush over her passes, she whips out her phone. “What are you doing?” Not responding, she pulls up the photo of the last body. “Look at her pigtails.” Sure enough, the girl had her hair pulled back in Ladybug’s two signature pigtails. “And the color,” Adrien whispered. “It’s the same.”

If they’d pulled up a photo of Ladybug in their moment scrutiny, they likely would’ve noticed how similar she and Marinette are. Instead, Alya and Adrien keep looking at the photo of the resurrected body.

“Holy mother of all things Miraculous, Hawk Moth tried to kill Ladybug.” The pieces click, and Adrien knows who Hawk Moth was. _Why Ladybug had talked to my father like he was Hawk Moth. Why she was in the house. Why she looked so fearful when I saw her._ “Adrien?” Feeling a hand rest on his shoulder, the blond turns around to see Nino Lahiffe standing behind him. He jumps, nearly yelling out his name. “Nino? What… how… when?”

His best friend chuckles. “Alya texted me, said you didn’t look too good. Luckily, I was nearby, so I was able to rush over and… Dude. Alya wasn’t kidding when she said you don’t look well. What’s up?”

 _How am I supposed to tell them that Gabriel Agreste, world-famous fashion designer, and World's Worst Father, is Hawk Moth?_ Adrien can’t sure how to reply, so instead, he sinks to the ground, leaning on a light post. “It’s nothing, Nino. This was just a disaster, that’s all.”

Except it isn’t. Nino can see that something else is bugging **(pun intended)** his best friend, but he knew not to push it. “Alright dude, but if you need to talk, you know I’m here.”

Alya can’t remember the last time she heard Nino offer up his wisdom so easily. She’s his girlfriend; that was different. Nino never offered it to just **anyone** , and apparently, Marinette had never gotten her share either, so that was saying something.

Resting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, she turns to the model. “Yeah. I’ll be here too, and I’m sure Marinette will be. Once we find her.” That doesn’t calm anyone down, however, so they all whip out their phones to text their friend.

_From Alya: Marinette where are you?_

_From Adrien: Marinette, tell me you weren't on the bus that crashed. Please._

_From Nino: Mari, please don’t be dead. You’re like a sister to me and I can’t afford to lose you._

When Adrien looks over his best friend’s shoulder, he can’t help but gush over it just a little. “Aww, Nino, that’s sweet! But you have a girlfriend.” Of course, that sends Alya over.

“What did he say? Nino Lahiffe you let me read that message!” She grabs for his phone, but he’s too quick. Adrien runs up from behind and tries to grab it, but again, Nino is a step ahead. They race around the little park next to the crash when Adrien kicks something. Something familiar. Something pink, round, and… “Marinette’s purse?”

M E O W

When Adrien halts, Nino and Alya do their best to stop before they run into him. They fail. Adrien crashes to the ground, barely stopping himself from falling on Plagg’s hiding spot in his jacket. Nino narrowly avoids landing on his best friend, but Alya ends up on top of him.

The couple blushes profusely as Adrien laughs at the situation. He can be sure that, if someone who didn’t understand the situation passed by, it would look like Alya was harassing the boy underneath her.

Standing up, the blond offers a hand to the brunette, who accepts it gratefully, pushing off her boyfriend.

With a grunt, the final person in the group stands up, and they huddle around the circular object. “What’s Marinette’s purse doing over here?” Alya thinks aloud. Surely her best friend wasn’t on that bus. “Maybe she accidentally dropped it earlier? The park is pretty close to her house.”

Nino always had the ability to speak Alya’s mind, and it usually helps, but today was an exception for many things. “But that doesn’t make sense. She never lets anyone even **touch** it! I went to pick it up one time, and she practically hissed at me.”

This is news to the boys, but it does make sense. “So… what does this mean?” _Adrien, my best man, Adrien._ Nino shakes his head as he thinks _If only you knew how bad that question is._ And Nino, being her boyfriend, is right. “What does this **mean?!** ” Alya begins to pace, going into reporter mode. “What in the name of Miraculous do you **think** it means?!” Playing with the chain of her hidden Miraculous, Alya picks up the speed of her walking. “It means that Marinette could’ve been kidnapped, or that she was on that bus! WHAT DO YOU **THINK** IT MEANS?!” The girl begins to lengthen the strides she takes, and in doing so, she doubles the area she walks in an attempt to calm her nerves.

Unsure of what to do, Adrien and Nino sit down beside the bluenette’s purse. Shooting a glance at each other, the boys take a silent oath. They were not, on any terms, to open Marinette’s purse. Nino is, of course, perfectly fine with this, as he respects Marinette’s privacy. Adrien, being an innocent cinnamon roll who didn’t know any better, resisted the urge to open the purse. Of course, the blond respects Marinette’s space, but he can still be curious.

Nino doesn’t know Adrien sees the purse moving; Alya doesn’t know the boys are patiently waiting for her to calm down; Adrien doesn’t know what thing could make Marinette’s purse move. He figures it had been groundhogs or some other little creature, so he picks the bluenette’s bag up, only to find grass sitting beneath it.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Nino startles Adrien out of his thoughts with a jolt. “S-sorry. It’s just…” _Wait. If something_ **_is_ ** _alive in here, there’s only one thing that could possibly live like that._ “I thought some animal was moving it.” Nervously laughing, Adrien gently sets the purse back on the ground.

“Actually, someone should get this back to Marinette’s house. I’ll go, and Nino, you help Alya calm down.” He quickly stands up, grabbing the purse and dashing away as Alya calls after him, “I heard that Agreste!” Not daring to look back, he races all the way to the bakery.

The people of Paris might be used to seeing people out of breath, - from running for their lives - but they are definitely **not** used to seeing a famous model running to a bakery with a pink package in hand.

Opening the door, Adrien Agreste steps inside the local business. “Is. Marinette. Here?” He speaks slowly, trying to get his breathing under control, but the room was empty - save the two adults and himself - so Sabine and Tom patiently wait for him to fully recover before answering. “No… I thought she was at Alya’s. She was supposed to-“ The man’s words are cut off by a broadcast starting up the television. “Nadja Chamack live at the latest disaster. A bus harboring 19 passengers was hit by two cars driving at 70 miles an hour. 17 are dead, and officers are working their hardest to figure out who the victims are. One of the two survivors stands with us; 6-year-old Bailey Lewis. Sweetie, can you tell us what happened?”

The reporter hands Bailey the microphone and turns her to the camera so she can be heard easier. Instead of speaking, the little girl just stares into the camera. “Okay. I can make this easier for you, sweetheart. Did someone save you from the second hit?” Nadja asks Bailey as she takes back the microphone.

The blonde girl just nods her head. “Is she the last survivor?” Another nod. “Did you see anybody here that watched it happen?” Finally, the child made a different movement and points to Alya, who is still pacing. “Thank you, sweetie. Alya? Alya Cèsaire? Nadja Chamack, can I have a minute?” The camera and reporter ran over to the brunette who promptly stopped moving. “Sure, Nadja!”

The threesome watches as Marinette’s best friend explains what happened and who she thought caused it all. “Well, Nadja, we actually do have a suspect. It’s kind of a hunch, but it’s the best we’ve got. As far as we can tell, Hawk Moth is the person responsible for this cataclysmic event.” And just like that, the two reporters are engaged in a big discussion about whether or not Hawk Moth knows who Ladybug is.

Tuning the two out, Adrien checks to make sure her parents aren’t looking before slipping his hand into Marinette’s purse. Sure enough, there is a creature inside, but he doesn’t bother looking at it as he puts it in his bag with Plagg. “Um… this is Marinette’s.” Sabine hesitantly takes it, tears forming in her eyes. “T-thank you. I just hope Marinette didn’t make it to that bus.” Adrien can feel himself pale as he processes the information given to him. “M-Marinette was on that bus?” With a nod, Sabine slips into the back. “That was the bus she was supposed to take to Alya’s. I hate to say it in front of Sabine because she gets so easily rattled, but if you found this in the park next to that station, then Marinette was there. On the bus.” Exchanging a few more words, Tom follows his wife through the back door.

The blond solemnly walks back to the park where Nadja is packing up. “Adrien Agreste, what are you doing here?” The reporter leaves her crew to talk with said model. “One of my friends was on that bus, Nadja.”

Without another word, Adrien stalks off to find Nino and Alya sitting under the same tree he had left them to begin with. “Any news on her whereabouts?” Alya asks with a worried expression. The boy hesitantly sits down to face his friends, unsure of how to explain. “Well… Tom… Tom took her purse, and when he did, he asked me where I’d found it. Of course, I gave him our location, and when Sabine left… he told me he was positive she had gotten on that bus. Apparently, she texted him when she was on, telling him she was on her way to the next station. He replied, but it never even said that she read his message. We’re guessing that’s when the bus was hit the first time.”

Alya’s eyes light up with tears as she jumps to the worst possible case scenario. “Y-you don't t-think t-that…” The brunette bursts into tears, both boys rubbing her back as she tried to sputter an explanation. “C-could she have been on t-the bus w-when i-it crashed?”

Adrien’s own eyes begin to tear up at the thought of the bluenette being… well, dead. He couldn’t stand the thought of it, Marinette being gone. But then, who could? She was the sweetest person to ever cross the planet, and now she was gone.   
“Alya, that can’t possibly be it. Think back to when all the bodies were here. Did you see any victim **other** than the one taken by the hospital that had pigtails?” Shaking her head, the brunette clears her eyes of the mist. “N-no, but didn’t she say she was **on** the bus?” Thinking back, the blond recalls that she had - indeed - texted her father, telling him she had made it on the vehicle. “Okay, that’s fair, but did you see any bodies removed from the bus that had pigtails?” She shakes her head once again, and Adrien draws his breath. “Wait a second.”

The two other teens look at him, confused and worried. “What is it, bro?” Nino speaks up after minutes of silence between the group, but his friend doesn’t respond. “Dude. Adrien, you in there?” Snapping his fingers, the DJ “wakes up” the model. “Adrien, what is it?” Shaking his head, he rubs a hand on his neck, embarrassed. “It’s just… if Hawk Moth was targeting Ladybug, and she was on that bus… and we only saw one person with pigtails… guys. I think I know who Ladybug is.”

The two brunettes stare at him, completely lost and confused. “Adrien?” His eyes dart to Alya’s, fierce, almost scary. “We need to get to the hospital. Now.”


	4. An Accidental Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back from the dead. *sheepish wave* Yes, I know I posted two stories yesterday, but those don't really count. They were short. I probably owe you guys some excuse as to why I've been practically non-existent since I posted The Meme Maker, but with such a bad response to it, it took me some time to get back on my feet. And I know this isn't really an excuse, but I wanted to say something, and I'll shut up now.
> 
> Sorry.

When the threesome reached their destination, they were not surprised to find nurses and doctors bustling around, furiously attending to various patients. “Next,” a bored voice droned.

Adrien, Alya, and Nino walked up to the woman’s desk, waiting for her to meet their gaze. “What do you want?” She finally asked, staring down each teen in turn. “Our friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, is she here?” The woman - Clarissa - scrolled through her computer for a minute before returning her attention to the group.

“Yes, she is, but she’s in surgery right now. You’ll have to wait a few hours before she’s out, and another two hours before you can enter her room.” She finally showed emotion as a tear trickled from her right eye.

“My best friends’ daughter was saved by Miss Marinette. When she comes to, will you give her thanks for me?” Adrien nods with a grimace as they walk to the waiting room. Hours passed, and the group restlessly waited for more information about their blue-haired friend.

Finally, after 4 painful hours, a tall woman - who introduced herself as Adele - wearing navy blue scrubs walks in. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Adrien was the only person to stand up; the other two had fallen asleep after their crying session in the bathroom. “Oh, good. Come here. Are they…?” She left the words unspoken, but the blond knew what she was looking at.

“Uh… let’s just keep them here. I’ll come back in a minute anyway.” Adele nodded in confirmation, a knowing smile spreading across her face for a split second before returning to its previous state of indifference. Much like Nathalie Sancoeur.

They walked down the hall in silence, but upon reaching the elevator, Adele asked the question hanging around the model’s own mind as of late. “So, if I may ask, what is your relationship with Miss Dupain-Cheng?” He chuckled, giving the same answer as every other time the subject came up. “Marinette? She’s a very good friend.”

As the elevator beeped, indicating the arrival of their destination, the woman stared at him, unbelieving. “What?” He asked, a bit too defensively. “Nothing,” She said in response. “It’s just… for someone who only sees her as a friend, you sure seemed eager to get her out of surgery. How many times did you ask the receptionist if she was done? 27?”

Adrien flushed in embarrassment. “28. And, if it had been your best friend, wouldn’t you have done the same?” She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “Perhaps… but not _28_ times.” Adele opened the door to the room cautiously, as though opening it all at once might release some sort of beast. And, perhaps, it did.

_On Adrien’s already unsteady heart._

Several beeps emanated from inside, as well as various other sounds and a crisp, clean smell that came from the room itself. That was before he walked in. He finally took that first step into his new reality, and he almost couldn’t stand it.

Her skin was a sickly white, barely any color tinting it, sutures covering just about all that Adrien could see. The thread-like material was crossing her cheeks, - floating into her hairline and all but disappearing - covering the rest of her face, - healing little cuts - and crossing her arms, - sewing up the various places rocks and random litter on the ground had inserted itself in her skin.

Deeper, he couldn’t see it, but he knew that there was a thick layer of sutures crossing her abdomen, all but hiding it from the light - as that was the critical place of impact. There were likely places on her legs that had stitches, too, as well as the rest of her body, and the back of her head, but Adrien didn’t want to think about that.

In fact, he didn’t think about anything at all. He walked up to her, extremely careful not to trip on a wire, and sat gently on her bed, as though one wrong move might kill her - which was entirely possible in her state of being. “Five minutes. I’ll give you five minutes. I’m not supposed to leave you alone with her until she wakes up, but…”

She gestures with some hand move like, ‘They’re so cute but they have no idea,’ but Adrien wasn’t sure what she meant, so he thanked her as she closed the door. “Marinette, I know you can’t hear me, but I… I brought your purse for you. It was in the park when we got there.”

He set it next to her, and as soon as a tear trickled down his cheek and landed on it, a red creature with black spots floated in front of him and wiped the following droplet. A Kwami. That’s what the creature was, after all. So Adrien had been right, and that meant…

“Ladybug,” He whispered hoarsely, barely keeping the stream of water back. “Shh… it’s alright. I’m Tikki. It’s nice to finally meet you, Chat Noir. Marinette talks about both sides of you frequently.” She knew she should’ve kept the girl’s secrets that way, but she couldn’t help herself.

“So she is Ladybug?” The tiny creature nodded with a smile that showed the purest of intentions. “I’ve been telling her for a while that she should reveal in case of things like this, but she never listened, and now this happened, and…” It’s the Kwami’s turn to trail off, voice caught in her throat by tears.

“Hey, it’s alright. Everything’s going to be okay, she made it out of surgery okay, ri-” Adrien didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence, however, because her heart monitor stopped giving off several beeps and turned into one single sound.

“NURSE!!” He scooped up the Kwami and purse, racing out of the room as her doctor and nurses rushed past him. “What exactly happened before her heart stopped? Did she wake up, talk in her sleep?” He shook his head as questions were thrown at him left and right.

“I’ve told you everything I know, I swear.” He gave a silent glance to the purse at his side as the final nurse went into the room to help. So maybe he hadn’t been completely honest, - there was strange activity happening in the room right before - but he had good reason to cover it up… right?

M E O W

A few minutes later, Adrien stood in a family bathroom, pacing back and forth while the Kwami watched, trying to soothe him. “Adrien, it’s not your fault! It was entirely possible for something like that to happen, anyway. She’s unstable.” Tikki tried her best to comfort the child, but this wasn’t her chosen.

She didn’t know him as Plagg did. “A little help?” She hissed at her partner. “Uh… yeah. Kid, listen, just because a black cat is unlucky doesn’t make this your fault. She’s not healed yet, so she could be in one state and then plunge into another within seconds.”

They expected it to work, but the speeches had to opposite effect on the boy. “But it is, Plagg! This Miraculous you’ve given me is bad luck, and now I’ve gotten that rottenness on Marinette!” The Kwami was, quite frankly, rather insulted.

“Now you listen here, Adrien. This is as much my fault as it is yours. The ring doesn't actually give off bad luck, just as Tikki’s doesn’t actually make her chosen lucky. Marinette’s life is in fate’s hands, not yours, not mine, and not her Kwami.”

That got the red Kwami to start crying. “Oh, sugar cube, i-it’s not…” Her sobs became muffled as she zipped into Plagg, wrapping her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. In response, he rubbed an assuring paw along her back, glancing at Adrien for a boost. A sign that what he was doing was right.

“Plagg, w-why couldn’t I-I just protect her?” Every few words were interrupted by gasps for air, gasps to get her tears under control. “Tikki, it’s not your fault. Hey, look at me.” She complied, and the two could see her violet eyes had quickly become blood-shot. “W-what if… what if she…” Hiccup, “What if she doesn’t come back? What if…” Hiccup.

Adrien held out his hand for her to fall onto, and she does without hesitance. He gently wipes her tears away, smiling sadly at the creature who reminded him so much of Marinette with every word.

“Hey, let’s not worry ourselves over things that likely won’t even happen. Stay calm. Marinette’s going to be okay, you know. She’s got you, Alya, Nino, the entire class, her parents, the rest of her family, and me looking out for her.” Plagg shoved him gently, letting him know that he existed, too.

“Oh, yeah, and Plagg. He’s here for her. She’ll be okay, I purromise.” The Kwami giggled, getting the last of her tears out of her system. “That’s the Chat Noir I know. That’s the Chat Noir Marinette loves.” Within a few moments, there’s a loud pounding on the door.

“Adrien! It’s Marinette! Come quickly!” The two creatures flew into the blond’s jacket as he opened the door. “What happened?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be trying to upload stories a little more frequently, but with another major holiday around the corner and semester finals... we'll see what happens. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of A Freak Accident, be on the lookout for more of this story, The Dinner Party, Magic at Midnight, various one-shots, and maybe another part to some song-fics!  
> ^._.^


	5. An Unsteady Heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is kind of a short chapter, but I hope I made up for it. Anyway, I will be uploading more stories as the break progresses, so be looking out for - hopefully - a few more before the New Year. Enjoy!

Adrien quickly woke Alya and Nino, updating them on all he knew about Marinette’s health. “So what you’re saying is… what?” Nino was beyond confused at this point as Alya and Adrien chuckled, despite the solemn mood around Marinette’s hospital room.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng is comatose, and likely won’t be coming out of it for a long while. As of the moment, we’re struggling to keep her stable.” 

The brunette nodded his head in understanding. “When can we see her?” Adele turned to Alya this time, eyes suddenly becoming sadder, her face losing the indifferent expression it had held seconds before. 

There was absolute silence for a few seconds as the nurse tried to decide how much information was pushing the boundaries of patient confidentiality. 

_ These are her friends, _ she reasoned with herself.  _ But what would the boss say? _

There were a few more minutes of stillness before Adele finally gave away the information. “...We aren’t sure right now, but… it seems like it might not be for a while. Your friend, she’s… unstable. Absolutely unstable and the tiniest germ could get her sick. 

“My boss decided we should probably put her in a separate room until she gets better. If she were to simply catch a cold, it could kill her immune system, potentially killing her in the future. It’s best if you don’t  _ directly _ see her.”

Now it was Adrien confused beyond reason. “What are you saying?” 

The woman cleared the tears from her eyes. “You may not get to see her until she’s out of the hospital. That is…  _ if _ she makes it out of the hospital.”

M E O W

It was like a shot to the heart for the trio. “Y-you don’t r-really mean…” The model trailed off, not wanting to taste the foul words.

Adele bowed her head in resignation. “I’m afraid that’s the situation. I’m sorry.”

Alya and Nino simply watched their friend as he went absolutely rage-monster. “What the fr*** do you mean?! Marinette has to fr****** wake-up! She’s the best thing this fr****** world has ever seen, and she’s the only thing that gets me to freaking move in the morning!”

The two brunettes had never heard more hostile words come out of their friend’s mouth. Not even when Gabriel had holed him up in his room for two weeks because he’d snuck an extra piece of food after dinner.

“Marinette is a fr****** angel, and she had better not die, or I swear, I’ll…” Adrien Agreste trailed off as tears finally met the surface. “I don’t know what I’d do without her, s-she… she keeps me sane. She’s the bright spot in my day, and I don’t know how I’d find the courage to face each morning without her.”

Alya’s own eyes pricked with tears when she heard those words. Not because it sounded like her best friend’s crush returned her feelings, but because the words he practically screamed explained exactly how she felt.

“Adrien, dude…” Nino spoke up, cheeks already wet from his own crying. “That’s deep and all, but maybe we shouldn’t shout it to the whole hospital.” He said it more like a question, and Alya knew why.

Adrien was fragile as it was, an unsteady heart, but now he was probably on the edge of something far worse than being grounded for two weeks. 

“Besides, we’ve gotta stay positive. For Marinette. She’ll be fine, dude.” Adrien stood up and glared at each of the others in turn, finally landing on his best friend.

“NO. There’s a chance that she won’t come back, and I won’t be positive then. I can’t even put a positive spin on this now.” With a wave of anger he knew was irrational, the model stormed down the hallway, quickly finding the elevator.

“Adrien, wait!” Alya Césaire called out after him, but he didn’t heed her. “Kid, you really need to calm yourself. Hawk Moth could find you, and-” The boy cut him off.

“You really think I’d succumb to that piece of trash? He’s the one who put Marinette into this situation anyway.” When the machine dropped to the main level of the hospital, Adrien walked out to find it fairly empty. 

“Adrien, please calm down!” Bright violet eyes stared up at him, tears quickly popping up in the corners. He could see Marinette when he looked at the Kwami. 

Her kind eyes, the warm smile, her shaky but confident voice… it overwhelmed the boy. “S-sorry, Tikki. Sorry, Plagg. I-I just… it’s  _ hard _ without Marinette here. She’s basically the glue that holds me together.”

The cat-God chuckled lightly. “I know how you feel, kid. Tikki… well, she has the same effect on me. If I don’t see her for a few decades, I become undone.” She nudges him playfully. “Like the dinosaurs and Atlantis?” 

Adrien could have sworn Plagg blushed. “Don’t forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Sugarcube.” The three reached the bathroom they’d been in a few minutes before, and the model quickly ducked into it, thankful that luck was finally on his side.

“Okay, you two. That bickering is cute and all, but we have to figure out how we can help Marinette recover quickly. We need all the information we can get to find Hawk Moth.” The Kwami nodded their heads dutifully.   
“Tikki, it sounds like she was transformed when Hawk Moth found her, then figured out who she was beneath the mask. Maybe you know something?”

The shuddering tears returned, stronger than before.

“Y-yes. She had finally found Hawk Moth, and was confronting him, but when he threatened your life… well… she couldn’t take it. 

“She revealed who she was.”

M E O W

Adrien was seeing red as his cheeks quickly became wet with his own shuddering cries. “W-why? Why would she do that? A-and how did he… what did he say, exactly?” The Ladybug Kwami took several deep breaths.

“I-I think he showed her some kind of clip… a-and you were… you were choking, Adrien. He was choking you to get what he wanted from her.”

The blond stared at Tikki, absolutely confused. “W-when was this?” His tears had ceased for the moment, but he didn’t expect it to last for long - Plagg had even shed a tear at this point.

“Yesterday.”


End file.
